I would like to suggest you give some thought to why you are investing and what your goals are. For example is your goal to never loose dollars? Is your goal to withdraw funds like a pension X per month until death? Is your goal to have income/withdraws keep up with inflation? How much of a problem would it be if say 20 or 25 years down the road you flat ran out of money?

Most people are interested in either pension type withdraws or withdraws that increase with inflation. Obviously the initial withdraw rate if you want a COLA will be lower then a flat pension type withdraw rate. Some people are willing to gamble and run a risk their funds will be completely depleated down the road.

Frankly the only way to avoid ever loosing dollars is to stick money in a CD type instrument (Bond funds can loose money.) However the trade off here is brutal in the long run. You will loose purchasing power. i.e. if your money will buy 100,000 burgers today, you can be certain over a period of 20 years you will not be able to buy 100,000 hamburgers and additionally you will have some income tax to pay.

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